


Deltarune: SOULs of Darkness

by BostonianJake



Category: Deltarune (Video Game), Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Deltarune Spoilers, Female Frisk (Undertale), Gen, Male Kris (Deltarune), Post-Deltarune
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2020-04-07 15:50:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19088179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BostonianJake/pseuds/BostonianJake
Summary: Following his first adventure in the Dark World, Kris falls asleep in his own bed. He wakes up to the sight of a shy human, a monster who resembles his brother, and an old man with an abnormally long nose. The old man extends his hand as a gesture of goodwill, and speaks."Welcome to the Velvet Room."





	1. Hometown

Hands tucked away in the pockets of his black sweatpants, Kris stifled a yawn as his shadow followed his every step in the evening sun. A stray leaf picked up by the gentle breeze found itself stuck in Kris’s green sweater, but he paid it no heed. Despite the sun shining its harsh glare through the bangs of his shoulder-length hair, the teenager did not turn his gaze.

Kris continued his walk as exhaustion weighed down upon his shoulders. Then again, such fatigue was commonplace after uneventful days at school. Ms. Alphys gave an overview of their group projects, going a little in depth of what the work would entail. The class collectively groaned at the repeated information, but Kris was silently grateful.

If only Susie were there.

Kris couldn’t help but feel a twinge in his chest when his new friend failed to show up for class, especially since she was his partner. However, a quick text message during lunchtime revealed she had merely overslept, citing overexhaustion from their adventure in the Dark World as the culprit.

Kris felt himself sigh. Everything he and Susie experienced in the Dark World was akin to a chaotic dream, but felt far too real for it to be merely a fantasy. When the final bell rang, Kris was tempted to sneak into that supply closet, the supposed gateway to the world drowning in darkness. However, it simply wasn’t right without Susie. He had a feeling Lancer would ask far too many questions, anyway.

The teenager managed a slight smile at the thought of Lancer, the young Darkner who was childish and courageous to a fault. Despite proclaiming himself as the bad guy and continuously attacking him and Ralsei throughout the majority of their journey, he defied his father by saving the lives of Kris and his friends, while risking his own in the process. Kris couldn’t help but chuckle when the child dubbed himself King of the Dark World during the aftermath of the fight against Lancer’s corrupt father, and before he and Susie had to say goodbye to their newly found friends.

Kris nearly stopped when that one, singular word crossed his mind. Friends: it was a word that implied more than one friend.

An odd emotion swelled in Kris’s chest as his thoughts drifted to the lonely prince. He wasn’t sure what to feel when it came to Ralsei, who was arguably the first true friend he had made in a long time. While he was certainly friendly toward the majority of his classmates, and they acted friendly back, he came to accept there simply wasn’t a ‘spark’ between them. He didn’t have their numbers saved in his phone and they never invited him into their long established groups. Even Noelle, who was the closest thing Kris had to a friend for the longest time, had drifted away from him by the time they graduated middle school. Still, when Kris waved, they usually waved back with a smile.

If only they acted that friendly when they didn’t think Kris was looking.

Kris wasn’t an idiot nor was he ignorant; he had perfectly functioning ears and an acute sense of awareness, not to mention his peers were never as subtle as they thought. If anyone was the idiot, it was them.

The constant whisperings of his peers, and even complete strangers, only added to an ever growing weight in his gut. They say sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you. Whoever first made that statement was terribly incorrect. He recalled gasping and sobbing into his mother’s arms after being picked up from his first day of kindergarten, vowing to never return the next day, to forever hide from the judgemental stares of the other children.

It was only with the encouragement of his older brother that Kris decided to return, but he was still greeted by those same whispers. Over the years, the hushed voices became a constant in Kris’s school life, with the occasional rumor spreading for a day or two. He eventually learned how to tune out his surroundings, to let the voices melt into static. Though, as much as Kris didn’t want to admit it, he couldn’t block out every single offhand remark or accusation.

_“He can be so creepy!”_

_“Definitely a troublemaker.”_

_“Didn’t he flush a cherry bomb down one of the school’s toilets?”_

_“The human is Asriel’s brother? Are you sure?”_

_“Why is he so… stone-faced? Is that the right term?”_

_“Freaky...”_

_“The human drank all the fruit juice again? Seriously?”_

_“I heard the human carries around a pocket knife.”_

Except Ralsei never uttered such scathing accusations, nor did he ever glance at him with suspicion or fear. From the moment Kris and Susie walked into the prince’s castle, Ralsei had already put the two Lightners on a gilded pedestal. They were no longer the brutish girl and the creepy human. To Ralsei, they were heroes destined for greatness. Despite Susie initially showing him nothing but hostility, Ralsei was an endless well of kindness and compassion. Her apathetic attitude towards a prophecy she was supposedly involved in failed to deter the prince, who remained adamant that she was indeed a hero.

When he and Ralsei ventured their way through the Dark World’s red grasses, gallantly facing enemy after enemy, Kris was awash with a newfound sense of confidence he had not felt in many years. Despite the stakes being pretty drastic, at least according to the prince, Kris enjoyed the nostalgic sensation. It brought him back to a time where everything was carefree, relaxed, and overall brighter. The way Ralsei stared at him with admiration and excitement made the human forget the whispers, and made him relive the times he missed the most.

Kris missed those simpler times where he and his brother explored the town until the sun dipped beneath the trees.

Kris missed those simpler times when he and his brother went to the diner every week, always ordering the same thing and sitting at the same booth.

Kriss missed those times when he and his brother played video games until the moon hit its peak, or until their mother came downstairs with tired eyes and an unpleasant attitude.

Kris missed when he and his brother would simply gaze upon the lake, unbothered by the crickets chirping loudly.

Kris missed when he and his brother talked at length outside of the school.

Kris missed when he and his brother shared that one bedroom.

Kris missed when he and his brother were together.

Kris missed when his brother was home.

Kris missed his big brother.

He missed Asriel...

… and Ralsei was the spitting image of Asriel, from his snow white fur, to his smaller than average horns.

Kris took a shuddering breath as he approached the steps of his humble abode. Maybe that was why he felt somewhat off about the prince. The moment he took off his hat and truly showed his face for the first time, Kris almost felt as if he was meeting a different person. Gone was the optimistic, kind prince; all Kris saw was his brother.

His farewell was much harder than it should have been.

Shaking away those thoughts, Kris steeled his nerves as he stopped in front of the door, his gaze drifting toward the heart embedded in its window. Swallowing the lump developing in the back of his throat, Kris grasped the doorknob and twisted.

As the door opened, he was immediately greeted by the familiar fragrance of homemade butterscotch. Kris couldn’t help but smile as his stomach instinctively rumbled. Closing the door behind him, he quickly made his way toward the kitchen.

In front of the stove, smiling as she stirred the sweet mixture in the metallic pot, stood his mother. Toriel was nothing short of angelic, always greeting him and Asriel with a warm smile and a ridiculous joke whenever they came home from school.

Though she never took her eyes off the pot, the edges of her mouth rose as Kris entered the kitchen. “Kris! How was school?” she asked sweetly.

“It was nice, I suppose,” Kris said nonchalantly.

Toriel paused her stirring, slightly shifting her gaze toward her child. “Did anything good happen today?”

He simply shrugged in response. “Ms. Alphys went over the project again, so I was able to get caught up.”

The goat stifled a giggle as she resumed cooking. “Knowing her, I’m sure she did it just for you.”

Kris felt his shoulders deflate. “Mom, I told you I was sorry.” He awkwardly began to rub one of his arms. “My friend and I just got stuck in the closet and lost track of time, that’s all…”

Torie’s smile never wavered. “I know, I know. I only hope that you two had fun.” She sighed wistfully. “It feels like forever since you made a new friend.”

Kris smiled, letting memories of the previous day flood his mind. Susie’s gruff demeanor, Lancer’s infectious playfulness, and Ralsei’s steadfast kindness filled his heart and SOUL with a soothing warmth. “Yeah, she was a lot of fun to hang out with.”

Kris didn’t want to complicate his situation any further by mentioning the fact he was with more than one person. However, regret soon took over when Toriel’s smile became unnervingly mischievous.

“Oh? It was a girl?”

Kris’s entire body stiffened, cheeks turning a subtle shade of pink. “M-mom, it wasn’t like that…”

“Uh huh,” she raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

Kris defensively raised his hands. “I’m serious! Ms. Alphys j-just partnered us up a-and made us get chalk!”

Toriel put a paw to her chin, humming in contemplation. “Isn’t that school dance coming up soon?”

“No it’s not!”

She shifted her gaze toward her stuttering son. “You know, when I was your age, I came up with a dance that blew everyone else away!”

Kris tried to slowly back up towards the stairs in an escape attempt that proved fruitless; he was unable to evade his mother’s sight.

“I heard the German exchange students really liked my dance,” she recalled, and Kris experienced a sudden feeling of dread. “They said it was… wunder- _baa_!”

“Mom!”

The kitchen was suddenly filled with peals of Toriel’s laughter. Putting a paw to her forehead, she struggled to stay upright as she leaned against the countertop. Her butterscotch was temporarily forgotten as she tried to compose herself.

Despite his prior groanings, Kris couldn’t help but join in the laughter. As terribly cheesy as Toriel’s jokes and puns could be, they always managed to force a few chuckles out of him. Not that he’d ever admit it aloud.

With one final exhale, Toriel wiped away her tears and returned to her butterscotch. Kris, on the other hand, started to make his way to the stairs, his posture noticeably straighter than earlier.

Before he was able to make his way up, however, Toriel once again turned to her son, her playful grin returning. “But seriously, what were you two doing in that closet all day long?”

_“MOM!!!”_

Following another fit of uproarious laughter, the rest of the day was rather uneventful. With an open window that allowed a gentle breeze to enter his room, Kris laid on his bed with nothing but his thoughts. The flowery fragrance carried by the wind mixed with the delectable scent of Toriel’s signature butterscotch cinnamon pie. His stomach rumbled with anticipation and hunger.

Eventually, the sun began to wane and his room slowly darkened. Toriel called for dinner, to which the two ate in silence. Quiet meals were rather common occurrences once Asriel had left the nest. During those first few weeks, his absence was deafening. Kris’s father tried visiting a few times in an effort to liven up dinnertime. However, those nights always ended with Kris barreling into his bedroom, queasy, with tears prickling in the corners of his eyes. He consistently dove underneath the covers, hands clasped over his ears in an effort to drown out the tearful, frustrated yells of his mother, and the equally tearful, stuttering defenses of his father.

It didn’t take long for his father to realize visiting at such an emotionally straining time wasn’t his smartest of ideas. While his heart was certainly in the right place, such meetings were destined to fail. It wasn’t his fault, nor was it Toriel’s. It was just how life was, and Kris had come to peace with that.

At least that’s what he usually told himself.

Butterscotch cinnamon pie always came after the meal, with Toriel teasingly warning him not to eat the entire thing in one sitting. The two laughed softly at the joke, and begun indulging in their dessert. With their stomachs quickly filled, the two retired to their respective bedrooms for the night. Normally, Kris would have opted to lounge in front of the television and play a video game or two, but a sudden wave of exhaustion put paid to those plans.

Still in his green sweater and black sweatpants, Kris was already tangled in a web of blankets and sheets by the time he settled into his bed. When Toriel came in one last time, she put a paw to her mouth and snickered at the disastrous mess he had already made. She kissed him goodnight, as per routine, and quietly shuffled into the hallway, flicking the lightswitch as she closed the door behind her.

The lamps were off, but the full moon bathed his room with its gentle glow. Stifling a yawn, Kris tossed and turned, now facing the empty bed resting idly on the opposite end of the room. He pictured lump protruding from the bed, rising and falling in a rhythmic pattern, with gentle snoring filling the air.

Kris never thought he would miss a sound as mundane as Asriel’s snores.

As Kris finally allowed his eyes to close, his body suddenly felt lighter, and his thoughts raced. He no longer saw images playing in his head, he merely saw color. One would think such a bombastic spectacle would keep Kris lucid, with his heart threatening to shatter his ribcage. However, as seconds ticked, he continued to enter a state of weightlessness. Eventually, there was nothing left, and Kris began to dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to firedrakegirl for being such an awesome editor!
> 
> I've been playing around with this kind of story for a while until I finally decided to sit down and just write. I'm really excited to see how this fic goes and I hope you guys just as excited!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading!
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Jake


	2. The Velvet Room

It all began with a subtle twitch of the finger, then his entire body began to shift. With a slight groan, Kris managed to gather the strength to sit himself up. His shoulders and eyelids were heavy with drowsiness, and he was sure he felt a bit of drool trailing from the corner of his mouth. He yawned, rubbing away at his eyes in an effort to rid them of sleep.

Though the world around him was still a blur, Kris quickly became aware of the lack of sunlight, as Toriel should have opened his curtains by now. He was not an early riser, after all. A sudden chill scuttled down Kris’s spine, to which he instinctively leaned forward to grab his blankets. He only felt himself sigh when his hands met nothing; he must have knocked away his bedding in the midst of his sleep. In his half asleep state, it was the most logical explanation he could think of.

However, the teenager was completely pulled from his daze when a quiet chuckle reverberated around the room. As his eyes snapped fully open, Kris was now made aware of one crucial detail that should have been obvious from the moment he awoke. His breath was caught in his throat.

He was not in his bedroom.

Gone was his bed sitting in its humble corner. Instead, Kris found himself sitting on a blue fainting couch in the center of a mysterious, rectangular space. Where there was once carpet, the floor was now a simple hardwood with a glossy finish. Scattered throughout the room were several floor mirrors with a gold-painted frame. Furthermore, the room lacked a tangible ceiling; the blue curtains that made up the walls seemingly rose to infinity, getting lost in an endless sea of darkness. Only a soft, subdued light descended from above, providing the room with much needed illumination.

Kris was suddenly overcome with a sudden tightness in his chest. Despite the rather spacious size of the room, everything felt too close together. He scanned his surroundings, finding no visible exit. To put it simply, he was trapped, and the very fact made his heart hammer, and his stomach twist.

“It appears you are well rested, young one,” observed a silvery voice.

Kris snapped his head toward the source of the speaker, where he met the bulging, bloodshot eyes of an old man with a seemingly permanent grin, and an abnormally long nose, tenting his fingers over a simple round table draped in a blue tablecloth Despite the bald spot shining on the top of his head, his greying hair fell just above the shoulders of his black suit.

The old man extended a hand as a gesture of good will, and once again speaks, his tone warm and inviting. “Welcome to the Velvet Room.”

Kris could only stare in disbelief, his ability to articulate lost. Maintaining eye contact with the old man was like staring upon an unfathomable creature, something that can only be portrayed in the most disturbing of literature. However, it wasn’t just because of his seemingly wild eyes or the unnerving, toothy smile. Never mind the fact he was trapped in a mysterious place called the Velvet Room. Kris’s wariness was rooted in something much smaller, but all the more terrifying.

The old man was human, just like Kris.

From the moment he first came home, hand in Toriel’s gentle grasp, Kris was the only human he knew. His mother, father and brother were all monsters of the same species with similar characteristics, while his neighbors and schoolmates were a variety of creatures taking on all sorts of appearances. While his family did their best to make sure he felt a sense of belonging, a small voice in the back of his head filled him with a neverending sense of alienation.

 _“You’re not one of them. You’ll never be one of them,”_ it would usually say.

Seemingly taking notice of Kris’s bewilderment, the old man’s wide smile softened as he continued to speak. “There is no need to fear me, young man. I mean you no harm.”

The old man gestured toward himself. “My name is Igor,” he introduced. “I am delighted to make your acquaintance.”

“Uh, likewise,” Kris meekly responded, to which Igor simply chuckled.

The sounds of footsteps approaching from behind finally jolted Kris out of his astonishment. He slightly tilted his head to the right, catching sight of a figure approaching the round table from the corner of his eyes. As the figure drew closer, and as Kris was able to discern their appearance, he failed to hold back his sudden gasp.

Kris’s heart nearly leapt in the back of his throat. “A-Asriel?”

When the tall, white-furred monster curiously turned toward his attention toward the human, Kris suddenly felt himself shrink with embarrassment. While the goat-esque monster did indeed share many physical qualities with his older brother -- snow white fur, visible fangs, floppy ears and a set of twin horns, there were several notable differences. The most obvious of which was a small tuft of blond hair spiking on the top of his head, while his brother’s matched the color of his fur, and had greater volume and length. The monster’s horns, unlike Asriel’s which curved outwards, curled inwards and were much shorter, more so resembling Toriel’s. His outfit, while inherently simple, was nothing short of formal, consisting of a royal blue suit jacket over a charcoal button down shirt, dark dress pants with black leather shoes, and a simple navy blue tie. His look was completed by a pair of small, half-rim glasses resting comfortably on top of his snout.

With his back fully erect, the goat diligently stood to Igor’s left, fixing his glasses with a paw as they began to slide off his nose. Chuckling a bit, Igor gestured to the monster, eyes closed and grin widening with amusement. “This is Lucien. He is a resident here, like myself.”

With his heels together and hand hovering over his heart, Lucien respectfully bowed, causing his glasses to once again slip. “It is a pleasure to meet you,” he eloquently spoke, fixing his glasses as he rose.

Another pair of footsteps caught Kris’s attention. This time looking to his left, he caught sight of yet another figure approaching from behind. Where these people were coming from, Kris had no idea. As the figure came into the light, his suddenly eyes widened in bafflement.

He was gazing upon another human: a young girl who appeared to be Kris’s age. Her chestnut hair was just about the same length of his own, though maybe an inch or two shorter. She wore the same ensemble as Lucien, with the only exception being her tie, which was a vibrant lilac.

She cradled a large leather-bound in her arms. Though initially difficult to see, Kris could make out the title embroidered in gold: _Le Grimoire._

The girl planted herself to Igor’s right side, studying Kris with great intensity. Her still golden brown eyes met Kris’s restless scarlet. However, for the briefest of moments, her eyes wavered, and her mouth hung open. However, she quickly managed to compose herself as the long-nosed man once again spoke. “This is Frisk. She also resides here, alongside Lucien and I.”

Frisk cleared her throat before politely bowing as well. “Pleased to meet you,” she said, her voice subdued.

Igor resumed tenting his fingers as Kris turned his attention toward the old man. “This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. I have summoned you here to discuss a matter of great interest, one I’m sure you are already quite familiar with.”

Kris only stared as Igor’s words washed over him, not sure what to say. This old man brought him from his bedroom and into this Velvet Room? However, to him, what Igor said beforehand carried far more significance. When he was finally able to form words, he began with a confused stutter. “G-great interest? But didn’t you say this is just a dream?"

To his slight surprise, it was Lucien who took initiative, and stepped forward. “To an extent, you are correct.”

Kris raised an eyebrow. “To an extent?”

Lucien adjusted his glasses. “As we speak, you are currently fast asleep in the real world. From the moment you drifted, our master has pulled your subconsciousness to this realm.”

The goat’s explanation failed to ease Kris’s confusion. If anything, it only grew exponentially. While he had at this point grown accustomed to the idea of other realms, the Velvet Room defied his perception of reality. If Lucien was indeed correct, and he was sleeping soundly in his bedroom, was it worth trying to figure out what this Velvet Room was about? If this was simply a dream, wouldn’t he forget everything that transpired here by the time his mother opened his curtains?

Kris heaved a long, tired sigh, putting a hand to his forehead in a futile effort to help comprehend his situation. He surveyed the Velvet Room once again, taking in all of its features and amenities, not that it had much of note. The only thing in this small, rectangular room aside from his couch and Igor’s table and chair were the many floor mirrors standing throughout the space. All their frames had the same golden finish with flowers carved in its wood, and they stood about two or three inches taller than the teenager.

Lucien seemed to notice Kris’s skepticism. With a shrug of the shoulders, the goat returned to his original position. “Your belief in our existence is irrelevant. All we ask is for you to heed our master’s words.”

Kris absentmindedly nodded as his attention shifted to a mirror placed rather close to his couch. He gazed upon its glass. Despite its antique aesthetic, its surface possessed no visible blemishes; its clarity was strangely hypnotic. He pushed away a few stray locks of hair that dangled in front of his face, tucking a few stands behind his ear.

There was a pause as Kris held his hand up. He stared upon his own reflection, and suddenly, his lungs were filled with ice. He scanned the entirety of the mirror, carefully studying every single detail in his reflection. At first, he only noticed the metallic gauntlet protecting his reflection’s left arm, then he found its twin. He then saw the dark, almost skin tight bodysuit. He finally gawked at the triangular plate of armor protecting his chest, the twin shoulderpads, and the torn pink and blue cape that draped over one of his arms.

The reflection wore the same armor Kris donned in the Dark World.

He bolted from his seat and scrambled to the mirror, putting a hand to the glass, almost expecting to touch his reflection’s metallic glove. The two shared an incredulous look as their hands began to tremble. Kris began to hurriedly wander through the Velvet Room, his pace quickening as he stopped in front of mirror after mirror. No matter which one he stopped in front of, his reflection still wore that same armor.

By the time Kris returned to his couch, a newfound sense of fatigue and frustration washed over his being. He glared at Igor, who only looked upon him with sympathy, despite his permanent smile.

“Explain,” Kris managed through gritted teeth. “What the hell is this place?”

Sighing sadly, Igor nodded as he raised a hand and gestured around the room. “I have had many guests, young one. While the services offered by the Velvet Room have remained constant throughout centuries, and will continue to persist, the room’s appearance has always been an extension of the guest. This place has taken on many different forms.”

Kris once again glanced around the room, catching the eyes of his armored reflection as his own passed over the many mirrors. “These mirrors are… part of me?”

Igor resumed tenting his fingers. “The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart, the state of your mind.” The old man pointed a finger toward Kris, and spoke in a low tone. “Your very being has been split in two, trapped in separate worlds.”

Frisk turned her attention to one of the mirrors, raising her voice as she spoke with a newfound firmness. “Tell me, what do you see in your reflection?” she asked, adjusting her grip on the large book still in her grasp.

Kris followed her gaze, once again making eye contact with his armored counterpart. He swallowed. “I see… myself. B-but not exactly… I’m wearing my armor. The same armor I wore in the Dark World…”

Frisk nodded, not taking her eyes off the mirror. “How did you see yourself in that other world? What did you feel?”

Kris fell silent, his gaze drifting to his hands currently resting in his lap. “I… I felt important. I was taking initiative, a-and people respected me for that. I was… I dunno, I just felt confident, l-like a real hero.”

This time, it was Lucien who brought forth the next question. “How do you view yourself back in your world?”

Kris sighed, feeling a small weight build in his chest. “Kinda the opposite, I suppose. I was just kinda there. I never spoke much… d-didn’t reach out to anyone, a-and no one really reached out in turn. I only really talked to my b-brother, but he...” Kris’s shoulders began to tremble, and his breath became shallow. He turned his head away from Igor and the rest, furiously rubbing the arm of his sweater over his eyes. He took several deep, shuddering breaths in an effort to compose himself.

Lucien took a step backwards, bowing deeply as his glasses again slid down his snout. For a moment, his calm, stoic composure slipped. “My… my apologies.”

Kris shook his head profusely. “N-no, no you’re fine. I should have been over this and...” He took one final breath as he swallowed the lump in his throat. “Never mind me.”

Frisk took a careful step forward. “Are you sure?”

Kris nodded in affirmation, a new resolve burning in his scarlet eyes. With a slight smile, Frisk returned to her original position.

Kris turned his attention solely to Igor. “You… you said you summoned me here, right? You wanted to talk about something I was familiar with.” He straightened his posture, hands gripping his knees. “You were talking about the Dark World, weren’t you?”

Though it was difficult to see, Igor’s grin widened. “You have adjusted to that realm far quicker than I envisioned. Frankly, I am quite impressed,” he delightfully chuckled. “However, that is a discussion for another time, my friend.” The long-nosed man extended his hand. “Tell me, what do you know of SOULs?”

Kris raised his eyebrows, clearly not expecting such a question. He put a hand to his chin, trying to recall what Ralsei had told him during their first meeting. “T-they’re pretty much you, right? The very culmination of your being...”

Igor only chuckled, seemingly pleased with his response. With a wave of a hand, Kris suddenly felt a familiar tingling sensation in his chest. He felt a rising sense of panic as he reached for a sword that wasn’t there. Looking down, a small, red heart burst from his chest. It merely hovered in front of his chest, bathing the Velvet Room in its red glow.

Kris managed to control his breathing as Igor gazed upon the heart with amusement. “You are correct, young one. Yet, despite your description, a human SOUL is very unassuming upon first glance.”

Kris couldn’t help but nod with agreement. “A-admittedly, I feel a little vulnerable when it's exposed.”

The old man hummed thoughtfully as he turned his gaze to meet Kris’s. “As you should. This is linked to your very self, after all.”

With a snap of Igor’s fingers, Kris’s SOUL returned to his body, causing him to suddenly lose his breath. “SOULs are small, and are highly susceptible to damage. That is why many residents of the Dark World attack your SOUL, rather than your body. A bit of a hindrance, is it not?”

“I would agree, yeah,” Kris said with a nervous chuckle.

Igor leaned forward, tapping a finger on his table. “What is your SOUL able to do?”

Kris looked down, once again gripping his knees. “I was able to seal away the King’s Dark Fountain… a-and I was somehow able to strengthen the abilities of my allies. But that’s about it...”

The old man chuckled, putting a hand to his chin. “SOULs are capable of so much, young one. They hold potential for tremendous power, despite their appearance.”

Kris looked down to his sweater. He slowly placed a hand over his heart, letting the sweater’s fabric squeeze between his fingers. “Tremendous power, huh?”

Igor nodded eagerly. “And you will need that power in the coming future. The Shadows continue to overtake a world already coated in darkness, after all.”

“Huh?” Kris raised his head. “B-but my friends and I usurped the King! We already sealed the Fountain!”

Without warning, a muffled, feminine voice echoed throughout the entirety of the room, and Kris began to feel that familiar lightweight sensation.

“W-wait!” He quickly rose from the couch, only to have fatigue drag him to the floor. Kris tried to stand his ground, gritting his teeth in an effort to hold back the growing fatigue. “I’m… I’m n-not done! Y-you know more about the prophecy, don’t you? I… I need to… need to...”

Lucien adjusted his glasses. “You have already spent far too much time in this realm.”

Frisk lowered her book. “We will explain everything in due time. That’s a promise.”

Igor only chuckled as he put his hands in his lap. “I have a feeling our next meeting won’t be too long from now.”

The ability to speak became too taxing for Kris; all of his remaining energy was being spent on trying to stay awake.

“Until we meet again,” all three chorused.

It didn’t take long for his muscles to give out. The last thing he heard was Frisk raising her voice in a sudden panic.

“L-Lucien! Catch him, quickly! He’s gonna--!”

As seconds ticked, he continued to enter a state of weightlessness. Eventually, there was nothing left, and Kris began to dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Aria of the Soul intensifies*
> 
> Special thanks to firedrakegirl for being a fantastic editor!
> 
> The stage has been set, now it's time for our heroes to carry out the performance. To say the least, I'm excited for the next few chapters.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Hope you guys enjoyed!
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Jake


	3. School Days

“Kris, it’s time to get up,” Toriel fussed. “I’m not letting you sleep in like this anymore.”

Kris groaned pitifully as sunlight poured into his bedroom, his right hand rising up to massage his forehead in a failed attempt to suppress his pounding headache. The collective voices of Igor and his two attendants reverberated around the cavern of his skull. In his half asleep daze, the volume of their voices were deafening. No matter how hard he tried to distract himself, the image of the Velvet Room remained fresh in his mind.

Kris wasn’t a stranger to dreams and nightmares, a fact Asriel and his mother knew far too well. Though he usually shivered and cried whenever he awoke from a particularly bad dream, everything was always forgotten by the time Toriel soothed him back to sleep. The once fearsome nightmare devolved into nonsensical colors, shapes and sounds until nothing remained. This was also true for his more pleasant dreams.

However, it wasn’t a typical dream. Kris could still feel the plush material of his fainting couch, the cold glass surface belonging to one of the Velvet Room’s many floor mirrors, and the disbelieving shock that clenched his heart when he first gazed upon his armored reflection.

He turned his attention to his adoptive mother, who had just finished opening Kris’s only window, allowing the morning breeze to play with her floppy ears.

Kris held back a yawn as he stood. “G-good morning…”

The corners of Toriel’s mouth twitched as she walked over to her son. Holding back a few laughs, she began to playfully ruffle Kris’s hair. “And good morning to you, Mr. Bedhead.”

Kris tried to bat away her arm, his attempt fruitless, though he smiled nonetheless. “M-mom…”

The two shared a quick laugh, and his headache was temporarily forgotten. The rest of his morning was as uneventful as usual, consisting of a quick, warm shower followed by breakfast. The two ate their runny eggs and buttered pieces of toast in silence, with Kris staring blankly down at his plate; his headache had returned as several thoughts prodded away at his brain.

_“Your very being has been split in two, trapped in separate worlds,”_ Igor had explained.

Going in for another bite of eggs, Kris gazed down upon his hand, almost expecting his gauntlet to suddenly materialize. Until now, he never truly realized how differently the teenager carried himself in the Dark World. Though he let Ralsei do a majority of the talking, Kris could not remember the last time he wasn’t merely drifting with life’s strong current. Ralsei may have led him to the castle, but Kris wasn't just a follower. His contributions had weight; they had actual consequences, giving him an air of importance.

_Susie glanced over her shoulder as Kris slumped against the wall of lockers, his gaze locked towards the floor. Her smile was nothing short of smug. “If you haven’t gotten it by now... your choices don’t matter.”_

… At least that’s what he told himself.

Kris was jolted out of his thoughts when he felt a paw wrap tenderly around his hand. Looking up, he meets the concerned, motherly eyes of Toriel. “You’ve been staring at your plate for a while... Is something wrong?”

Kris forced a smile, shaking his head in an attempt to have his hair further obstruct his eyes. “Just tired.”

Toriel only nodded when Kris quickly returned to his breakfast. Though the worried look in her eyes never wavered, she didn’t press him any further, to which Kris was silently thankful. After all, he wasn’t sure how he could explain the Velvet Room and the rest of his dream without raising several questions he simply wasn’t prepared to answer, especially when considering the potential of her discovering the existence of the Dark World.

The thought of going behind his mother’s back made his stomach twinge, don’t get him wrong, but Kris could only imagine the various reactions he would receive from Toriel if he told her of such a world. Would he be met with concern? Shock? Nervous laughter? An unconcerned scoff? A calming embrace?

No matter the outcome, it simply wasn’t worth revealing such a thing. The only thing Kris could do for the time being was what he did best: play the role of the quiet kid.

With breakfast finished and plates put away, Toriel hurried to her car, with Kris trailing not far behind. The drive to school was as quiet as their meal, with his mother’s attention solely dedicated to the road in front of her. Kris’s thoughts were elsewhere as he blankly stared out the window. One minute he pondered what lessons his teacher had in store for the day, the next he envisioned the confident smirk of Susie, the jovial demeanor of Ralsei, and the excited playfulness of Lancer.

The barest hint of a smile graced his face as Toriel parked her car in front of the school.

The two got out as droves of other students entered through the large doors, some merrily chatting with their friends, others walking with their backs hunched, dreading the upcoming day. Kris blushed as Toriel took hold of his hand, leading him past several students who tried and failed to hide their amusement. He sighed when one student in particular audibly choked on not-so-hidden laughter.

Kris’s gaze was locked to the floor as he and Toriel entered the school. The air conditioning was clearly working overtime as both shivered upon passing through the twin doors. Following a brief hug, the two departed for their respective classrooms. Kris could see the teasing smirks of a few students in the corner of his eye, but all he could do is pretend he didn’t notice. He loved his mother to death, but sometimes he wished she wasn’t so open with her displays of maternal affection.

As Kris reached for the doorknob leading to his classroom, a firm, scaly hand grasped his shoulder, causing him to jump in place.

Following the hand to its source, he met the yellow eyes of Susie, whose warm smile betrayed her rather tall, intimidating stature. “What’s up, nerd?”

Kris felt his shoulders relax upon seeing his newfound friend. However, a subtle tightness gripped at his chest as the two maintained eye contact. Despite this, the human managed a small smile of his own, giving her a quick thumbs up.

With a semi-forceful pat on the back, the two entered the classroom as the first bell rang.

To Kris’s surprise, his teacher, the yellow lizard-like monster Ms. Alphys, arrived a minute or two after he and Susie sat down at their respective desks. Following several breathless apologies for her tardiness, the day’s lesson began without much fanfare. To Susie and Kris’s slight disappointment, Alphys already had a plethora of chalk at the ready.

“Heh, won’t be disappearing this time, Kris,” one student jeered.

Ignoring the remark, Kris absentmindedly tapped his pencil on the desk as Alphys began to shakingly write on the chalkboard. Thankfully, despite how nervous the teacher seemed, the writing was perfectly legible.

The day passed in a blur. Susie had long since given up on paying attention to the lecture, and had opted to instead pick at her claws. Kris, on the other hand, struggled to keep up his concentration as the clock continued to tick. A tingling sense of anticipation spread throughout his torso, plaguing him with a restless energy that never settled as the afternoon crawled by.

It wasn’t the lessons themselves; Kris usually had decent academic standing and rarely had trouble paying attention. Though when compared to his brother, his performance at school was nothing extraordinary. It was above average, and he knew he would easily graduate if his grades remained consistent. No, it wasn’t the schoolwork. Rather, his thoughts were occupied by something that never failed to put a smile on his face.

Kris suddenly found himself excited at the thought of potentially trying one of Ralsei’s cakes.

The bell rang, prompting everyone to shoot up from their seats. Alphys gave the class one final overview of their group projects, and wished everyone a good weekend. Excited chatter filled the room as the students shuffled out of their seats, some more clumsily than others.

Kris and Susie remained at their desks as the rest of the students quickly filtered out. It didn’t take long for the two to be the only ones left in the classroom, with Ms. Alphys hurriedly following the last of the students.

Their eyes met. Susie only nodded her head, to which Kris responded with a smirk and a thumbs up.

The two got up from their desks and hurried out into the hallway. Kris scanned his surroundings, seeing no signs of his mother or teacher. Once the coast was deemed clear, they began to make their way down the hall, paying no heed to the other students shoving each other in an effort to make their journey to the school’s entrance quicker.

Eventually, Kris and Susie approached the metallic double doors that, to the average student, led to the school’s supply closet. However, for the two friends, it was a portal to something more.

Reaching into the pocket of his sweatpants, Kris pulled out his smartphone, tapping away at the screen with his free finger. Susie looked over her shoulder as Kris slid the phone back into his pocket. “Who were you texting?”

“Just mom,” he simply replied. After having Toriel more or less on the verge of calling the police as a result of his and Susie’s brief disappearance, it was better safe than sorry to let her know that he, in fact, was alive and well.

Kris turned his attention toward the dragon-esque monster, whose leg was shaking with great impatience. “Shall we?” she asked.

With a smile of his own, Kris eagerly nodded as he gave a thumbs up.

The two teenagers felt a familiar chill as they both turned to face the supply closet, and the world around them seemed to darken.

Susie was the first to advance, with Kris anxiously waiting behind her. A rush of excitement washed over him as the monster grasped one of the cold, metallic doorknobs, and the door opened with a slow creak.

The darkness within the closet seemed to stretch into infinity; the sight was almost intimidating. Time slowed to a crawl as Kris and Susie entered, becoming one with the never ending void. An intense cold gnawed at his skin as the two teenagers ventured further into the closet’s depths. They walked until the bright entryway became a singular speck in the distance. Finally, in the blink of an eye, the double doors shut with a loud clang.

Kris knew what would happen next, yet he was still caught off guard as the floor gave way beneath him. He felt the urge to scream as he fell into a seemingly bottomless pit. However, by the time he opened his mouth, darkness began to envelop him, and his sense of panic was quickly replaced with tranquility. His eyelids grew heavy by the second until reality drifted away. All that was left was the quiet, rhythmic beat of his own heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the shorter chapter, but at least you know this story is not dead.
> 
> For the time being, this chapter is unedited, but I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless.
> 
> Now that Susie and Kris are in the Dark World... things are about to get truly interesting. Strap yourselves in, folks.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Jake


	4. Weakness

When Kris finally awoke, the first thing he felt was a pounding headache, followed by the frigid air of the Dark World gnawing at his skin. With a fatigued groan, he managed to sit himself up, his vision blurred and hearing muffled. Everything seemed to move in slow motion; even the simple act of breathing felt unusually sluggish.

He looked down at himself, barely able to make out his shining armor and dark bodysuit. His sword was secured to his hip, ready to be used at a moment’s notice. A sense of panic clenched his heart when his vision worsened, and his muscles weakened.

Kris put a gloved hand to his forehead, nearly collapsing when he felt a sudden burst of pain spread throughout his skull. Any and all attempts to suppress his headache failed. Tears started to gather in the corners of his eyes as he hissed in pain.

A pair of voices suddenly caught the human’s attention. He winced as his ears began to ring, only able to pick up a small handful of words.

_“He’s ... Kris! What… h-holy shit… hurt...”_

_“K-Kris… coming… hold on… spell!”_

The two voices approached, growing louder as they drew closer. Kris put his hands over his ears in an attempt to drown out the world around him. The pain only worsened to the point of becoming unbearable.

“H-hurts…” he whimpered, his tears now freely running down his cheeks.

As Kris tightened his grip over his ears, he suddenly became aware of a warm liquid that matted his hair and stained his hands. His heart hammered in his chest as he gave a strangled sob. His panic worsened.

He was bleeding.

Kris’s entire body began to tremble, and his breath became short. One of the voices shouted in alarm, causing him to keel over, hands still over his ringing ears. His torso shook violently with restrained sobs, and his tears further blurred his vision.

“A-Asriel…” he wept, reaching out an arm toward a brother who wasn’t there to hold him, to make the pain go away, or to hum a melody able to soothe him to sleep. It was only him, a human child seemingly alone in the dark.

In only a few short moments, Kris was filled with a crushing sense of helplessness... 

… and he hated it. 

The human silently cursed himself for being reduced to a crying, bleeding mess. He was currently in the Dark World: the realm in which he felt confident and, in more arrogant terms, unstoppable. He was supposed to be the gallant swordsman who helped defeat the evil king and sealed the Dark Fountain, one of the three Heroes of Light from an ancient prophecy. It was supposed to be nonsense for him to feel so vulnerable in a world where he was anything but.

Yet here he was.

Kris felt a hand gently rub his back, and through his blurred vision, managed to see a figure kneel down beside him. The figure spoke, but their words were lost upon the human. The ringing in his ears only grew with the pain.

His senses continued to dull, and the world around him began to fade, as did the pain. Kris’s body started to slump, causing the figure next to him to stand up in alarm, waving their arms as the human struggled to remain conscious. He surely couldn’t be dying, could he?

“As.. ri…” was all he could manage: one last plea for help, only for his voice to fail him.

The last thing Kris saw was the shadowy outlines of the Dark World, before he eventually succumbed to the terrible pain, and drifted off. The ringing in his ears has subsided, but no other noise can be heard. 

Kris managed one final sigh as his pain dulled. Nothing else remained as the ground beneath him seemingly gave way, leaving him to float in a lonely, desolate void. All he felt was the slow, rhythmic beating of his own heart. 

The darkness that embraced him almost felt comforting.

Suddenly, in one swift motion, Kris felt two arms tenderly wrap around his unmoving form. A sense of warmth enveloped him, and the pain fully alleviated. The human wept a little with relief.

Kris slowly opened his eyes, letting a few more tears fall. He was no longer in the dreary caverns of the Dark World. Instead, he was surrounded from all sides with pure white. The flat, blank landscape stretched to infinity. There was not a crack, crevice, or bump to be seen. No detail was on the horizon: all was flat.

Yet Kris did not care, or even seem to notice his bizarre surroundings. His widening eyes were instead focused on the monster who kept him in a tight, protective hug.

Kris nearly choked on his tears. “A-Asriel...?”

The tall goat-like monster simply smiled in response. It was that brotherly smile Kris missed so much. 

Kris gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the cries that were making their way to the surface. However, his attempts proved fruitless.

He couldn’t stop his body from trembling.

He couldn’t stop his tears from falling.

He couldn’t stop his throat from tightening. 

He couldn’t stop his breaths from shortening.

Most of all, he couldn’t stop himself from desperately clinging onto his brother’s jacket. Without a single word, Kris threw his own arms around Asriel, the floodgates slowly bursting.

It started with a few wet, erratic gasps. Before the two siblings knew it, Kris had his face buried in the crook of Asriel’s neck, sobbing uncontrollably. The young human heaved, yelled and coughed as Asriel gently massaged his back, whispering and cooing into his ear. 

Kris became putty in Asriel’s arms. It was as if the human were physically melting along with his sadness. Asriel’s jacket increasingly became stained tears and snot, yet the goat did not mind a single bit. He allowed a few tears of his own to hit the ground as Kris continued to cry. 

“I c-can’t... d-do this a-alone,” he wept. “A-Asriel… I c-can’t… I-I miss you so… s-so mu-much…” 

Time passed in a blur. By the time his tears began to dry, Kris was completely exhausted. His whole body ached, his strength was nonexistent, and his face was still hidden in Asriel’s neck. The goat’s fur was matted with tears and sweat. 

Kris felt Asriel gently grasp his shoulder and slowly push his torso forward, breaking apart their embrace before he could protest.

As Kris stared upon his brother with confusion, the void around the two siblings began to darken. A heavy fog rolled in, blanketing the two in a cold mist. Asriel’s gazs softened as he tightened his grip on Kris’s armored shoulder. “Don’t lose heart.”

Kris visibly jolted at the sound of his brother’s echoey voice. It sounded familiar, yet radically foreign at the same time. If Kris didn’t know any better, he would’ve said it was his own voice, yet far deeper. 

Any and all questions died in the back of his throat. No matter how many times Kris opened his mouth, words refused to form. As the light continued to fade, a sense of fatigue suddenly overcame the young human, and a pair of hushed voices suddenly filled his head.

Confused and frightened, Kris once again reached out to his brother, who only grasped one of the human’s hands with both of his own.

Asriel smiled one last time, and Kris could have sworn the goat’s eyes began to glow a molten gold. “You’re far stronger than you know.”

Before Kris could process what his brother said, another wave of exhaustion overcame him, and the voices in his head only grew louder.

_“Look... think... waking up! Kris?”_

Asriel’s smile slowly fell as he shifted his gaze toward the horizon, his stare piercing the fog. His eyes were stoic and focused. “A difficult trial awaits you. The fate of light and dark hangs in the balance.”

Kris barely had the strength to register Asriel’s words. He felt his eyelids grow heavier with each passing second as he leaned into his brother’s torso. The human had so many questions to ask, yet his voice failed.

The hairs on the back of Kris’s neck stood up as Asriel began to gently rub the back of his head, letting his brother occasionally play around with his hair. The sensation was both soothing and nostalgic. Kris let out a weary sigh, not caring if his current thoughts and desires were selfish. He just wanted this simple moment to last forever.

Barely managing to grip onto Asriel’s jacket, the last thing Kris felt before drifting off was the desire to cry once again. However, the world fell away before tears could form. Darkness consumed his whole being, and Kris suddenly found himself floating in a lonely, desolate void. 

Asriel’s absence was already agonizing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long wait, and I apologize even more for my writing style. If you haven't already noticed, it's really slow-paced. Not much happens but I swear these moments are important =w=
> 
> Hope you sick people enjoyed seeing Kris suffer, because there'll be more of that.
> 
> This chapter is unedited so please let me know if there's any errors.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Jake


End file.
